Laying of the wreaths day before Memorial Day

As we speak about these things at the monuments, that makes it real, and it becomes a living, breathing part of the legacy that these young people inherit, by virtue of their being here now.”

Fred Nielson chaplain of the Memorial Day Committee

Laying of the wreaths at veteran monuments is a symbolic tradition for the communities of Glen Cove. Along with honoring the fallen United States soldiers on Memorial Day, the ceremony, which is held the day before, also pays respects to all members of the city that served. 

On Sunday, veterans, elected officials, and community leaders gathered for 15 minutes at the veteran monuments at Morgan Park, Glen Cove Public Library, Ford Street, Elm Ave, and St. Rocco’s Roman Catholic Church in somber remembrance of the sacrifice the community’s servicemen have made throughout history. 

Anthony Jimenez, the director of Glen Cove Veteran Affairs and a member of the Memorial Day Parade Committee, said the ceremony is “to pay our respects” and honor our “war dead” before the full day of events for Memorial Day. 

“Not all the monuments represent that, but they represent war and a lot of people that are on those have deceased as a result of conflict,” Jimenez said. 

At every monument, Fred Nielsen, the chaplain of the Glen Cove Memorial Day Committee, recited a prayer to the servicemen of Glen Cove who have served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and Korean War. Names on each monument reflects all servicemen whether nurses or troops who served. 

“Because Glen Cove, as a 350-year-old municipality, has had such a vibrant history of pride in its veterans and has served in every single war in this nation’s history,” Nielsen said, “It makes sense then that all this community pride would be evident in these neighborhood monuments.”

As the chaplain, Nielsen said, he has the responsibility to recognize the spiritual sacrifice of the country’s military, who took the risk of facing danger and help others see it as well. 

“As we pause to think about those who have died in battle,” Nielsen said, “that’s a deep [and] very, very important, spiritual time. So, we acknowledge that by the presence and the prayers at the monument.”

Many of the names of these neighborhood veteran monuments, Nielsen said, were not of only fallen members of the community, but also servicemen that returned home. 

“Those monuments that we go to,” Michael Napoli, co-chair of the Memorial Day Parade Committee said, “those individuals, some have passed, but some haven’t. Some came home and had lives.” 

The name of Napoli’s father-in-law and his brothers, who served in World War II, rests on the monument at Forest Avenue and Ford Street. Three of the brothers, Napoli said, came home, but one died. “So, our wreath laying isn’t just for war dead,” Napoli, a veteran said. “It honors veterans.”

The World War I Doughboy Monument at Glen Cove Public holds significance to Nielson. A typical Doughboy statue, Nielson said, usually appears in a triumphant stride with his rifle held above his head, but the city’s own rendition, in which the late World War I veteran William Spenncke modeled for, stands with his head and rifle down in a thoughtful state. 

“I’m glad that ours is being contemplative thinking about the cost,” Nielsen said. “Yes, we did win. But we didn’t win without the cost of blood and bone, and young, wonderful life being brought to an end for thousands and thousands of people.”

Memorial Day was once known as Decoration Day because of its early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags. Because of the full day of events for the veteran holiday, the Memorial Day Committee has held the wreath ceremony the day before to follow the national tradition. 

“Because we have such a long morning and afternoon with the ceremony and the parade,” Jimenez said, “we then as a committee decided that the day before we’ll do our decorating of graves. and memorial services at the monuments.” 

During each session, the military “tap,” which is the 24 mournful notes commemorating the memory of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard members, resounded. Napoli said a “tap,” which is played by a trumpet, can be heard at military bases as well. “They play taps at the end of the day each day on a military post,” Napoli said. 

The mournful tune was a revised military bugle by Major General Daniel Adams Butterfield in 1862 for his brigade. Because the original “tap” called “Tattoo”— which Napoli said symbolizes the end of the day, Butterfield changed the last five and a half measures to honor his men. Today, the call is played at funerals, wreath laying ceremonies and memorial services.